By Tenzin Dharpo
DHARAMSHALA, FEB. 21: An American city in the state of California has adopted a resolution for Tibet that condemns the human rights violations of Tibetans under China as well as called for the right to self determination for Tibetans and dialogue between Beijing and Dharamshala where the exile Tibetan base is set up.
The Berkeley city council on Feb. 14 adopted a resolution that denounced the repressive Chinese policies implemented in occupied Tibet and has resulted in self immolation of many Tibetans since 2009. It also mentioned the recent developments such as the destruction and demolition of the Buddhist monastic university of Larung Gar in eastern Tibet.
The resolution was voted for unanimously by the eight council members present at the time of voting with one member absent during the proceedings. The decision to raise the Tibetan national flag on the city flagpole on the 58th Tibetan National Uprising day on March 10, 2017 has also been approved. The practice of raising of the Tibetan national flag has been done 20 times before by the Berkeley city in solidarity and support for Tibetans.
Kalsang Phuntsok, President of the Tibetan Association of Northern California (TANC), told VOA, “The resolution passed this year contain vital additions and nuances that have not been previously included which shows bolstered support by the Berkeley city council as well as the people of the city.”
Kalsang also said that he is in talks with two other cities; San Francisco and Richmond that have shown positive response in adopting similar resolutions for Tibet.
The raising of the Tibetan flag on March 10 is an act of solidarity and support for the Tibetan community done in cities around Europe and United States in the past.
Tibetan Uprising Day, observed on March 10 commemorates the 1959 Tibetan uprising against the occupation of Tibet by People’s Republic of China. The violent crackdown on Tibetans in Lhasa on that day resulted in deaths of thousands of Tibetans and triggered the flight of the Tibetan leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama into exile.
